Marilyn Jean Peck (Spilker), 89, of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, passed away peacefully on Monday, October 16, 2023, at The Residency in Scottsbluff. A joint service for Jean and her husband, Jim Peck (February 15, 1935-May 23, 2023) will be held at 10 a.m., Monday, November 13, 2023, at The Residency, 2100 Circle Drive, Scottsbluff. Cremation has taken place in accordance with their wishes. A memorial has been established as The James W. Peck and Marilyn Jean Peck Scholarship Fund at the University of Nebraska Foundation for a medical student scholarship. The service will be live-streamed and recorded to their obituary pages viewable at www.reverencefuneralparlor.com.
Jean was born January 24, 1934, in Cowles, Nebraska to Harvey and Alda (McBride) Spilker. She graduated from Minden High School in 1952. Jean returned to her education endeavors later in life when she attended Kearney State College from 1967-1971, earning a bachelor’s degree in music education.
She married her high school sweetheart, James “Jim” Whitford Peck, in 1953 in Minden. They welcomed four children while living in Lincoln and Omaha: Scott Douglas, William James, Susan Ellen, and Helen Jean. Jean and Jim lived in Kearney, Nebraska, Columbia, Missouri, Lincoln, Nebraska, and Scottsbluff where they celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in March 2023.
Jean loved to play the piano and listen to classical music. She read a lot, volunteered at various libraries, and spent winters sewing and quilting. Jean belonged to several bridge clubs and was an avid Scrabble player. She developed a passion for golf while living in Columbia, Missouri. The invention of instant replay got her interested in football, which turned her into a Husker football fan. As a child she played, ‘boy things’, like cowboys, roller skating, and bike riding with her younger brother, Bill. She admitted to a secret desire to be a female athlete, and naturally became a huge fan of Husker volleyball. She organized the Community Concert series in Kearney and was a faithful blood donor. Her home was always spotless, and ever welcoming of family and friends.
Survivors include her children, Scott (Jeanne) Peck, Bill (Kathy) Peck, Susan Peck, Helen (Jim) Reinhardt; grandchildren, Lewis Reinhardt, Rebecca Jones, Hannah Liptac, and James Peck; ten great-grandchildren, Isaiah, Miles, and Luke Jones, Hallie, Ray, Shayla, and Kaia Reinhardt and Cal, Hank, and Jackie Liptac; sister, Barbara Stowe; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Harvey and Alda Spilker; sister, Nancy Van Pelt; brother, Bill Spilker; and husband, Jim Peck.